Barcelona have so far not given up on the hope of signing Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid despite the latter's stubborn stance.
Atletico have maintained the same position since the start of the summer transfer window and have continued to reiterate to the player that he will not be sold to Barça this summer.
Sooner or later, Barça have to start looking for alternatives to the 26-year-old, and Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze has emerged as an option.
According to Gerard Romero , sporting director Deco is convinced by the Villarreal striker, but Hansi Flick does not currently share the same level of enthusiasm over the operation.
Deco sees Mikautadze as a viable option to strengthen Barcelona's attack if the club are forced to move away from Alvarez.
The Georgian forward offers mobility, sharp movement around the box and the ability to operate across different attacking positions, qualities that would fit Barcelona's desire for a more fluid front line.
Deco likes Mikautadze. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
However, sporting approval from Deco is not what matters. What seems to be a problem is Hansi Flick's position.
Romero reports that the Barcelona coach "does not see it clearly" at this stage, suggesting he has reservations over whether Mikautadze is the right striker to complete his squad.
That matters because Flick has been extremely specific about the profile he wants. Julian Alvarez remains his clear first choice, and Barça have resisted looking at a Plan B for so long.
Even if Hansi Flick and Deco manage to reach an agreement on the 25-year-old, Villarreal's valuation makes this operation difficult.
The Yellow Submarine are expected to demand between €60 million and €65 million for Mikautadze, which is a significant fee for a player Flick is not entirely convinced about.
Flick not fully convinced. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
For Barcelona, there would be little sense in abandoning an extremely expensive primary target like Alvarez only to overpay for a player the coach is not entirely convinced about.
Barcelona need three things to align: Deco's sporting assessment, Flick's tactical approval and a transfer fee that makes financial sense.
Right now, the Georgian international only ticks one of those three boxes.
Unless Flick becomes convinced and changes his mind about Mikautadze and Villarreal soften their demands, it will be a surprise if Barcelona make this signing happen this summer.
